Automatic cigarette dispenser



March 29, 1938. A. RANDAzzo 212f57 AUTOMATVIC CIGARETTE DIS'PENSER Original Filed Aug. 26, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 29, 1938. A. RANDAZZO AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE DISPENSER Original Filed Aug. 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet ALRandaZZO E" @#HQQQC;

ATTO R N EY Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED. STATES PTENT OFFECE @riginal application August 26, 1935, Serial No. 37,855, now Patent No. 2,085,121, June 29, 1937. Divided and this application May 25, 1936, Se-

rial No. 81,655

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a cigarette dispensing device for use on a motor vehicle, and is a divisional application of my copending application on Automatic cigarette dispenser and lighter, Serial No. 37,855, filed August 26, 1935, now Patent No. 2,085,121.

The principal object of my invention is' to provide a device actuated primarily by suction and which will dispense a cigarette from a container and support the cigarette in a position readily accessible to the person desiring to smoke the same.

A further object of my invention is to provide an ash tray which is normally mounted beneath the cigarette dispensing device but which upon actuation of the device will be projected forward to an open or usable position.

Additional objects of my invention are to provide a device in which a relatively large number of cigarettes may be held prior to dispensing and to provide means for humidifying the cigarettes while in the removable container.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawingsA similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my automatic cigarette dispenser and lighter.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view on line 2--2 of Figure 3 is' a sectional elevation illustrating a cigarette as pushed into the receiving or sup-porting cradles.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view as in Figure 2 taken when the cigarette pusher is in the same position as in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, but with the cigarette container removed.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of the base portion of the device taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure '7 is a perspective view partially out away of the removable cigarette container.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral I denotes a rectangular metal wall which forms the back wall 0f a rectangular forwardly opening housing 2 and a rectangular rearwardly opening suction chamber 3 which terminates short (Cl. S12-67) of the lower edge of the back wall. Depending from the side walls of the housing 2 and pro-jecting rearwardly therefrom are supporting anges 4. Projecting laterally from the housing 2 are vertical flanges E adapted to be secured to the instrument panel of a motor vehicle and through an opening in which panel the device projects.

Secured between the flanges 4 is a plate 6 which forms a. floor for the housing 2 as well as projecting forwardly and rearwardly therefrom. This floor plate 6 has a transverse slot 'I cut therethrough just back of the front face of the housing 2, said slot being of suiiicient length and width to permit a single cigarette to pass through the same. The iioor plate 6 extends forwardly a l5 short distance from the slot and extensions 8 extend forwardly fro-m the plate at its sides, terminating in down turned flanges 9. The ilanges 4 extend forwardly along and below the outer edges of the extensions, as shown, so as to form housings for the heater and suction elements used in igniting the cigarette.

Extending between and in front of the flanges 9 and pivotally mounted thereon by bearings B is a shaft Ill upon which spaced cigarette receiving cradles I I are mounted. A torque spring I2 on the shaft between one cradle and theadjacent extension acts to rotate the shaft, such movement being limited by a stop element I 3 which permits the shaft to rotate only until the cradles 30 reach an upright position, as illustrated in Figure 1.

A rectangular cigarette container M is removably secured in the housing .2. This cigarette container is formed with a series of holes I5 along 35 each side in ord-er that the cigarettes in the container may receive moisture from humidifying elements I6 supported in vertical slotted cases II formed within the housing 2 on each side thereof.

The cigarette container I5 is divided into front 40 and back compartments by walls I8 and I9 mounted within the container and secured together in unitary parallel relation by a top cross member 20, and forming the back compartment. This wall unit is pivoted in the container by a 4,5 shaft 2l adjacent the upper end of wall I 9. A compression spring 22 between the top of the container and the cross member 20 acts on the wall unit to move the same towards the back of the container. Two spaced cigarette supporting 50 platforms 23 are mounted within the container at the bottom and just below the movable wall unit. The back wall I9 has a tongue 24 depending between these platforms, while the back wall of the container is cut away between the plat- 55 forms as at 25 in order to expose the tongue for engagement with a pusher as will hereinafter appear.

Secured to the suction chamber 3, which is open towards the back of the device, is a bellows 26 havinga rigid back plate 21. An arm 28 eX- tends centrally down the back plate of the bellows and projects some distance below the same. Secured to this arm 28 immediately below the back plate 21 is a cross member 29 orificed at each end to slidably receive one end of rods 39 which extend from the cross member below the suction chamber 3 and are swivelly secured at their other end to the back wall l under the suction chamber. Compression springs 3l on rods 3B normally keep the bellows in an extended position.

Another rod 32 slidably projects at one end through an opening in the cross member 29 and arm 28 intermediate the rods 30. The other end of rod 32 passes through an opening in the back wall l and terminates in a pusher head 33 of greater diameter than the opening in the wall through which the rod projects and positioned to engage 24 of wall I9. Compression springs 34 and 35 are held on the rod on opposite sides of the arm 28 by means of a collar 36 and a nut 31 which is threaded on the rod. v

A rectangular base plate 38 is supported from the flanges 4 below and in spaced relation to the floor plate 6 of the device, and terminating in line with the front edge of said floor plate. This base plate 38 is also extended forward along its side edges beyond the front edge thereof in order to provide a bottom closure for the heater and suction element housings, open only on adjacent sides.

Mounted between the floor plate 6 and base `plate 38 is a cigarette pushing slide 39 which is slidably supported on parallel upstanding guides 49 mounted on the base plate and spaced from the sides thereof. This slide rides in slots 4i cut inthe upper edges of these guides, said slots limiting the relative forward movement of the slide. The slide 39 adjacent the forward portion thereof is offset inwardly from the sides while the front edge of the slide is turned down to form a cigarette engaging face 42, normally disposed just back of slot 1, as shown in Figure 1.

An auxiliary slide 43 is mounted beneath slide 39 and is of the same general configuration. The

two slides are held together in proper relative slidable relation to each other by cooperating finger and slot units 44 on the horizontal members of the slides. A leaf spring 45 mounted between the forward vertical faces of the slides normally holds said faces separated and in the relative positions indicated in Figure 4, the separating movement being limited by stops 45 on the slide 39.

A rod unit 41 has loose-play connection at one end with the arm 28; its forward end diverging laterally to the vertical face of the auxiliary slide, to which it is swivelly connected as shown.

Both the floor plate 5 and base plate 38 are slotted adjacent the back edges thereof as shown for the purpose of permitting free movement of the arrn 28 in a forward direction.

An arm 48 is pivoted at its rear end to the base plate 38 between one side thereof and the adjacent guide 40, This arm extends along the base plate under the adjacent extension 8 where the arm is formed with a laterally facing suction head 49 disposed in a transverse plane just in front of plate 6. This arm and head has a suction passage 50 therethrough, which passage connects at the pivotal end of the arm with a flexible suction tube 5I leading from a connection with the suction chamber 3.

The suction head is normally held clear of the plane of the adjacent end of a cigarette until the latter is dispensed onto the cradles II by means controlled by the movement of the slide unit in a dispensing direction, as fully set forth in said copending application.

A heater element 52 is mounted at the opposite side of the dispenser in line with the suction head for movement toward and from the adjacent end of a dispensed cigarette; being normally held away from the plane of said end until a cigarette is dispensed, by means also controlled by movement of the slide unit in a cigarette dispensing direction. This structure and the operation thereof is also fully described and claimed in said aforementioned copending application., and in it self forms no part of the present invention.

A rod 53 projects at one end through arm 28 below the base plate and has loose-play connection with said arm. The rod 53 is slidable through a sleeve 54 formed on the bottom of the base plate and terminates adjacent a strike plate 55 secured on and depending from shaft l0.

An ash tray 56 is slidably suspended from the base plate, the upper edges of said tray at front and back being notched to miss rod 53. The arm 28 is bent forwardly at its lower end in order to engage against the back end of the ash tray when sa1d arm begins to move forward.

The suction in chamber 3 is controlled by the following mechanism:

A tube 51 leads directly from the intake manifold of the engine of the vehicle to a valve block 58 in chamber 3. A pivoted spring-closed valve 59 normally closes the opening in the valve block. An electro-magnet 60 is mounted within the chamber 3 with the core of the magnet adjacent the metallic arm of the Valve so as to open the valve whenever the magnet is energized by means of electric supply wire 6I. Wire 6| as well as the heating element 52 are connected in circuit with a switch (not shown) mounted on the instrument panel of the vehicle and which switch is employed to control the passage of electricity through the circuit.

The tube 51 is larger in cross sectional passage area than tube 5I whereby a partial vacuum can be created in the bellows to collapse the same even though tube 5| leads from chamber 3 to suction passage 50 and an atmospheric opening.

Operation The cigarette container is first filled with cigarettes. The back compartment is filled before the container is inserted in the housing, this being done by inverting the container, and tilting said back compartment clear of the platforms 23. When said compartment is filled, it is released and the container uprighted, the platforms 23 preventing the cigarettes dropping down. The container is then inserted into the housing, being temporarily held forwardly tilted at the top to allow the front compartment to be loaded from the top, which is open. The lowest cigarette in the front row actually drops clear of the container through slot 1 and rests on base plate 38 immediately in front of the cigarette engaging face 42 of the upper slide. This is illustrated in Figure l. The figure also illustrates the respective positions of the elements of the device in a normal or inoperative position.

To automatically dispense a cigarette the electric switch (not shown) is closed. This energizes the electro-magnet 60 as well as the heater element 52. When the electro-magnet becomes energized, valve 59 is pulled away from the valve block and subjects the entire chamber 3 to the action of the suction, causing the bellows 26 to be collapsed and arm 28 to be moved forwardly.

This causes rods 41 and 53 to move forward. As rods 41 move the cigarette engaging face of the upper slide engages and pushes the cigarette forward, the resistance of spring 45 being greater than that of the cigarette. At the same time rod 53 engages the strike plate 55 and turns the cradles I l down to a cigarette receiving position, in line with the suction head and heater. Due to the fact that the slide must move a greater distance while rod 53 acts to turn the cradles down, the cradles are in a cigarette receiving position before the slide pushes the cigarette into the down turned cradles as illustrated in Figure 3.

After the upper slide has pushed the cigarette into the cradles said upper slide comes to a stop against the end of the slots 4I in guides 40. The lower slide 43 however continues to move forward, causing the suction head and the already energized heater element to be moved into engagement with the corresponding ends of the dispensed cigarette, as explained in said copending application.

As the arm 28 moves forward rod 32 tends to also move forward due to the action of the compression spring 34 but when cigarettes remain in the container between wall I8 and the front wall of the container pusher head 33 on the end of rod 32 cannot move wall I9 of the pivoted wall unit ahead. This results in the spring 34 merely being compressed; the rod 32 sliding through the arm 28. However should all the cigarettes in the front compartment of the container be exhausted, wall I9 would be pushed ahead into the front compartment, allowing a cigarette from the back compartment to drop through slot 1. Thus the device will automatically feed rst from one row of cigarettes and then from the other row of cigarettes.

When the arm 28 initially moves forward with the collapse of the bellows the lower end of the arm engages against the back end of ash tray B and slides the same forward to an open position as indicated in Figure 3, where it will catch any ash dropping from the cigarette being lighted.

When the cigarette has been pushed into the cradles and suction applied at one end and the heater element at the other end for a sucient time to properly ignite the cigarette, the electric switch is opened, causing. the heater to be dlsconnected from the circuit and the electro-magnet to be de-energized, closing valve 59. 'Ihe suction in the chamber 3 is immediately lost due to atmospheric pressure entering the bellows through the suction head and a leaf spring L within the chamber 3 on wall I and engaging the back plate 21 of the bellows causes the same to expand and return to a clear normal expanded position. This moves arm 28 rearwardly, retracting rod unit 41 which in turn draws the slides back and forces the suction head and heater away from the ends of the cigarette. The rod 53 is also retracted from engagement with strike plate 55 which permits torque spring I2 to rotate the cradles to an upright position; the stop element I3 preventing any further movement. The lighted cigarette may then be readily removed from the cradles. As soon as slide 39 moves back clear of slot 1, another cigarette drops onto plate 38, ready for a succeeding dispensing operation.

'I'he ash tray of course is not retracted and remains in a forward open position where it is usable by the operator while he is smoking and must be manually slid back under the device when it is no longer needed.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fullls the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as dened by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

r1. A cigarette dispenser comprising a horizontal support for a single cigarette, a cradle unit to receive such cigarette, means turnably mounting the unit in front of the support for movement from an upwardly facing position to one facing rearwardly and in horizontal alinement with the support to receive a cigarette, means to advance a cigarette on the support onto the cradle unit, means normally maintaining the unit in said upwardly facing position, and means functioning with the cigarette advancing means to turn the unit to a cigarette receiving position before the advancing cigarette has reached the same.

2. A cigarette dispenser comprising a horizontal support for a single cigarette, a cradle unit to receive such cigarette, a shaft supporting the unit and turnably mounted in front of the support, a spring acting to turn the shaft to normally maintain the unit in an upstanding position, means to turn the shaft rearwardly in opposition to the spring to a position such that the unit may receive a cigarette advanced from the support, and means incorporated in part with said shaft turning means to thus advance a cigarette.

3. A cigarette container and dispensing unit comprising a substantially vertical container, a compartment open at its lower end mounted in the container at the back thereof for forward movement at its lower end to place such end at the front of the container, said front of the container being open at the bottom, such compartment andthe space in front of the same being adapted to receive separate substantially vertical rows of horizontally disposed cigarettes, a means preventing the cigarettes in the compartment from dropping onto the support when said compartment is in its normal back position, a support for a single cigarette below the container in alinement with the front row of cigarettes to receive the bottom cigarette of such row, a cigarette receiving unit in front of said support, a cigarette engaging slide, means supporting the slide in a plane between the bottom of the container and the support and normally behind the latter, means to advance the slide on said means whereby to push a cigarette from the support onto the unit, said means including an upstanding arm mounted on the unit above the slide for forward swinging movement and secured adjacent its lower end to the rear portion of the slide, and operative means between the arm and the compartment to shift the latter forwardly and functioning only when the front row of cigarettes in the container is exhausted.

4. A structure as in claim 3 in which said last named means comprises a rod projecting at its forward end through the container and positioned to engage the back Wall of the compartment, said rod being slidably disposed at its rear end through the arm, a stop on the rod in front of said arm, and a normally slack compression spring on the rod between the stop and arm.

5. A cigarette dispenser comprising a horizontal support for a single cigarette, a cradle unit to receive such cigarette, a shaft supporting the unit and turnably mounted in front of the support, a spring acting to turn the shaft to normally maintain the unit in an upstanding position, an arm pivoted on the dispenser rearwardly of the support and shaft for forward swinging motion, a strike plate depending from the Shaft, a slidably mounted rod secured at one end to the arm and projecting forward to a termination at its other end adjacent the strike plate for engagement therewith upon forward movement of the rod, whereby the cradle unit will be turned to face thesupport to receive a cigarette, and a cigarette pushing slide also operatively connected to the arm and )normally disposed back of the cigarette support in position relative to the rod to engage and advance a cigarette from the support toward the cradle unit asY the latter is turned to a cigarette receiving position by the forward movement of the rod.

6. A structure as in claim 5, in which the cradle unit is turned to a cigarette receiving position before the advancing cigarette reaches the unit and the strike plate is arranged so that the rod then passes under the same whereby to hold the unit and said receiving position and allow of further advancing movement of the pushing slide.

7. A cigarette dispenser comprising a cigarette support, a holder unit for a single cigarette mounted in unitary connectionY with the support, means to engage and move a cigarette from the support onto the holder unit, and manually controlled suction means to actuate said advancing means.

AUGUST RANDAZZO. 

